Media Release

Big Island detectives have charged a 28-year-old Kona man in connection with the unlawful entry into a motor vehicle on Tuesday (September 10) in Kailua-Kona.

At approximately 7:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Kona Patrol Officers responded to a report of a theft from a motor vehicle within a parking lot in downtown Kailua-Kona. The victim, a 37-year-old Holualoa woman reported that she had placed personal belongings into a public storage rack located at the entrance of the Kailua Pier while she went swimming. Upon her return she found several items including her vehicle key and key fob were missing. She later found that her vehicle had been entered and property from within it had also been removed.

During the investigation officers developed information that lead to the identity of a local male seen in the area where the victim’s property had been removed at the Kailua Pier and also the parking lot where the victim’s vehicle was entered. On Wednesday (September 11) officers located and arrested Travis Ray Maunakea Sanders of Kailua-Kona, on suspicion of unlawful enter into a motor vehicle.

Detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigation section continued the investigation which led to a search warrant of a backpack that was in the suspect’s possession at the time of his arrest. During the execution of the search warrant detectives recovered several items of the victim’s stolen property along with illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia.

On Friday (September 13) detectives charged Sanders with unlawful entry into a motor vehicle, two counts of theft-third degree, theft of a credit card, unauthorized possession of confidential information, two counts of promoting a dangerous drug-third degree, promoting a detrimental drug third degree and two counts of drug paraphernalia. Bail was set at $75,000. Sanders remained at the Kona Cellblock pending his initial court appearance on Monday (September 16).